As a human resource professional for nearly two decades, Karla Bonine had studied thousands of resumes and worked on hiring hundreds of people.
She'd seen every conceivable strategy for getting a job. Still, Bonine felt nearly paralyzed when the proverbial shoe was on the other foot and she was the one who had lost her job and was searching for a new one.
Bonine found networking and the job search process somewhat uncomfortable. "I discovered I don't do cold-calling well. I prefer what I call 'warm contacts.' That's a person who knows someone I know well," she says.
Thinking of the job hunt as a chance to practice her networking skills, she made a minimum of five personal contacts each week.
Forty contacts and coffee klatches later, a former client of hers called with news of an open position. She got the job, a position as senior benefits analyst.
"I remembered when people cold-called me, and I tried to remember what worked best when I had to do my own cold-calling," says Bonine. "I would say when cold-calling someone, attitude is everything."
